It's All About Your First Touch
In my previous blog I talked about the importance of updating our attitude towards football, to a more professional mind set or thinking pattern.
It's not enough to just think in a professional manner but, in terms of our game we need to upgrade it to a more professional level as well. One of the preliminary steps to doing that is to master our First Touch. This is so basic that as players and coaches we often overlook this phenomenon. We often think we will learn it along the way, but I have been proven wrong time and again. We don't learn it unless we practice it. Even the best of players still continue their practice on first touch.
What is first touch all about?
How a player controls the ball when they receive a pass is what refers to First Touch. When one receives the ball there are three possible things they are bound to do: pass it, shoot it or dribble it.
In my coaching sessions with kids 13 and below, first touch has been my prime focus. Children between 3-6 years of age enjoy kicking and running around with a ball. But with kids from 7-10 years I am keen on teaching them all about first touch in football. This is the age where they begin to feel the ball more with their feet. They watch a lot of soccer which influences them to imitate professionals like Ronaldo, Neymar, Messi, Muller and other prominent players who become their heroes, that is why it is important to start teaching this technique or skill set as you may call it, which emphasises on the ability of the child to control the ball on receiving it and directing it on just the first touch.
The game of football usually gets faster as children grow older. The famous tiki-taka style practiced by the Spanish giants Barcelona, developed by the legendary coach Johan Cryuff is simply based on movement with quick passes. A lot of focus here is on quick first touches.
In a 90 minute game the best of the best players get to touch the ball for a maximum of 80-90 seconds if they are lucky. Therefore, more of the game is played without the ball than with it, because the time with the ball is so limited. It is very important to touch the ball at the right moment and also think ahead to what needs to be done when one is in possession of the ball. In order to improve our game we must get faster and for us to get faster the first touch needs to be perfected.
In a nation like ours where perfect football fields are very rare, awkward bounces often catch our players off guard. During my college football days I had a player from Yemen who could just dribble with the ball in the air. He could control and run with the ball almost across the field with the ball mostly in air. It's only later on I got to know that since Yemen is full of sand, players are forced to play a lot with the ball in the air.
Indian fields are not levelled and awkward bounces make it difficult for players to play. When it rains the fields get clogged by water, but the game doesn't end. The ball needs to be controlled and played in the air. Therefore we get no excuse. Players need to perfect their touch with any part of the ball, whether in the air or on the ground. Coaches need to make it their priority to work on a player’s first touch.
So what can take our game to the next level? It's perfecting our first touch. It makes us faster and more creative. It's time we up our game!
It's not important if you have the ball, what is most important is what do you do when you have the ball?
Vijay David, Assistant Coach, BCFC .
ELITE EARLY RISE PROGRAM. Hurry!
Are you struggling to play or practice football due to work or college timings? The Bangalore City Football Club is proud the announce a new program called EERP. It's for those working professional, college students or players who cannot play and practice in the afternoons or nights. This program will give you the opportunity to get world class coaching and training early in the morning before you go to work, college or elsewhere. Practices will be held at The Bangalore Football Turf, which is a top notch turf facility right of ring road. Please contact us for more details.
Seats are very limited. So Hurry!
Call : +91 7848008800
Be part of Total ( early morning ) Football in Bangalore!
Barefoot Footballers / Street footballers
Courtesty : Image via Straight from a movie
The movie, Pele birth of a legend has been a delight to all football lovers. It talks about how Pele transformed from being just a barefoot street footballer to the one who became the nation’s World Cup hero, winning it three times in a row.
Barefoot football is not something which is new to Indian. Our streets are filled with soccer lovers whose footwear become the goal posts and they try to score between the two posts.
Playing barefoot develops one skill of ball control. It gives you a real feel of the ball on your foot. You change your directions very quickly and alter the pace much better than with cleats on. 100 % of the touch goes to the brain and nothing is lost on the shoe, so your feel on the ball is much better too. Also finally the lower part of your feet muscles get automatically strengthened.
Having said all that, its time know that football has evolved and so has the practice of wearing soccer shoes while playing. Even the barefoot street player, Pele, had to wear shoes to play professional. Indian soccer, as it is already has needs to continue to move away from just the streets. There are so many bare footers who can’t do a thing with the ball when they have shoes on.
So how can the quality of football improve in this great talented nation of 1.2 billion people? A possible answer is to move from streets to soccer fields, wear shoes rather than play barefoot every time. The influence of football has grown in India in the recent past. It won’t be too long that the way hockey was overtaken by cricket, football will overtake cricket. It is not very far for football to become our national sport. It is not very far that India will play FIFA World Cup. It is not very distant when huge money will be spent by the big clubs on Indian players and great clubs will be birthed here.
All it takes is a dreamer. Someone who will dare to walk away the comfortable streets in to the football fields, who will wear the shoes and work hard enough to see this generation take the world stage in representing India. Come on Indian Peles it is time to take the big stage.
Vijay David, Assistant Coach, BCFC
Kick Off
Over the last few weeks we have seen some great matches all over Europe. We cannot wait to see the many talented Indian footballers participate one day! As the overseas leagues and tournaments are nearing the end of their season we at The Bangalore City Football Club™ are nearing the start of our season. Once the Euro's are over our first practices will start in July...we are excited to see each one of you on the field.
Registration for the club will start this Monday ( April 25th ) and for those who register in April or May the Rs1000 registration fee will be waived! Also, the 1st, 2nd and 5th players to register will receive a free Bangalore City FC Training shirt. You can register by contacting us at info@bangalorecityfc.com or minlun@bangalorecityfc.com. You can also reach us at +91 7848008800 to coordinate the pick up of your registration forms. Seats are limited so hurry up and be part of total football in India.
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